Helena Ros and Marta Torrella, aka Tarta Relena, stand opposite each other on the National Sawdust stage on March 30 and sing Hildegard von Bingen under pale blue light. The piece—“Nunc aperuit nobis”—was composed in the 12th century, but the Catalan Duo offers a modern spin on it, coloring their a cappella voices with reverb and electronic fuzz. As they sing, they’re completely in sync: Throughout the music’s crisp open intervals, they look into each other’s eyes and gesture towards one another as if they’re reading each other’s minds.

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The entire evening, which is co-presented with the World Music Institute, features entrancing and time-collapsing music. Tarta Relena formed in 2016, and tonight, they perform music from their third album, Fiat Lux (2021), which showcases their incredible breadth across genres, eras, and traditions. Pieces draw from early western classical music, from Spanish folk songs, from ancient Greek and Afghan poetry, from Björk. They often accompany their powerful voices with techno beats or electronic haze, giving the traditions they pull from a sleek makeover.

There’s also a celebratory feeling in the air tonight: This is the duo’s New York premiere, and the audience is just as giddy as the artists about it. After they finish each of their songs, they open up the floor for dialogue—when “Nunc Aperuit Nobis” reaches its end, for example, they ask us “how are you doing? Are you enjoying it?” and we cheer loudly. During pieces like “Stabat Mater,” we soak in the duo’s engrossing sound and feel every rhythm. The song is Tarta Relena’s reimagination of a 13th century hymn about the suffering of Mary, and it begins with soft, electronically manipulated voices on loop underneath a soaring solo, creating an ethereal, spiritual sound that matches the blue-pink lights that illuminate the stage. But by the end, it takes on a different texture—a booming bass beat comes in so strong it rattles the chairs in the room, creating a rumble, and some audience members bob their heads, feeling the groove deep inside. 

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But perhaps the most immersive moment comes at the very end of the evening. During the last piece, Tarta Relena brought us into the music: They ask us to stomp-clap-clap as they sing a folk song, starting off a competition between New York and the other cities they’re visiting on tour to see which audience can clap the loudest. So we clap with smiles on our faces. And though we get a little off the beat, everyone in the room is smiling and laughing, content to be in the moment making music together.

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About Vanessa Ague

Vanessa Ague is a violinist and critic who writes for publications including the Wire, Pitchfork, and Bandcamp Daily. She is a recent graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

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